egbert Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Very surprised to see POW's still in captivity so long after the end of the war. I assumed repatriation occurred quite quickly after the Great War (unlike the Second World War which I know ranged from a couple of years to a very long time if held captive in the Soviet Union). Thanks for posting the picture Egbert & for adding a little more to my education Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Petrowski Alexander Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Egbert, tell us their history, what made the French keep these POW's for so long, a form of war reparations through hard labor ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 15 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 15 December , 2005 DPA: I don't know anything about the picture at all. But pretty interesting: I just found 5 PoW letters from my Granduncle ranging from 24.12.1917 until February 1920 from France, all censored; no not from our mods here, but from French officials. Overall tone pretty depressing. No indication so far when he was released back home. Uh, home did not exist any more, was taken by the Poles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 Very surprised to see POW's still in captivity so long after the end of the war. I assumed repatriation occurred quite quickly after the Great War (unlike the Second World War which I know ranged from a couple of years to a very long time if held captive in the Soviet Union). Thanks for posting the picture Egbert & for adding a little more to my education My wife's Grandad wasn't released till Feb. 1920 or 1921. I never met him but my father-in-law told me he was put to work clearing the battlefields in the area of his camp. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 22 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2005 Tony, I have just translated the last PoW letter from my Greatuncle to my Grandmother, dated 14 Dec 1919. Again, depressing, he closes with Christmas wishes and best wishes for the NewYear. No release date even anticipated. The actual date of release is not known. There is an excellent German book "Die Unsichtbare Front" , written in the early 20s about the forced labor of german PoWs in France. This book confirms your observation: many PoWs worked also clearing the old battlefield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 I also have a copy of a letter sent by a family member in 1941 to the German radio station, complaining about the good treatment and life of luxury French POWs were having in Germany compared with the treatment of German POWs in France during and after the Great War. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2005 I have just translated another PoW letter from my granduncle. "Never say never" He wrote: ".....1.February 1919, Dear sister and boys! This joyful postcard shall serve as my last greetings from France. We will be released in 14 days. I decided not to write another time from here, hope to see you very soon and last best wishes from Erich!" Sadly they were not released, as I possess another letter dated Dec 7th 1919 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernardmcilwaine Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 wasnt there a problem about some german POWs because of where they were born,it was a long time ago but i seem to remember that they kept some POWs back because they were from alsace lorraine which was originally french territory then after the franco prussian war became part of germany,i think it was to do with the french classing some as traitors for fighting in the german army when they were actually frenchmen,didnt some germans stay behind to help bury their dead comrades,bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 9 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2006 My Granduncle I am reporting from was from Prussia, exactly from the province of Posen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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